Why Two Different 3G-Enabled iPad 2s?
Earlier this morning, iFixit published some interesting pictures of the internals of the iPad 2, showing different baseband (3G) chipsets for the at&t (GSM) and Verizon (CDMA) versions of the device: an Infineon chip for the former, and a Qualcomm chip for the later.
While early reports seem to indicate that the use of different baseband chipsets in the two 3G versions of the iPad 2 was a decision designed to cut costs, we’re thinking otherwise, as the use of different chipsets most likely increased costs: from design to production lines, building separate versions of the device required – and still requires – more resources, distinct teams, and additional testing.
Call us paranoid, but we’re not convinced that building different designs was a decision made by Apple.
iPad 2 baseband boards – Left: GSM – Right: CDMA (pictures: iFixIt)
The above photos show distinct designs, but if you pay enough attention, you will notice that the CDMA version of the iPad 2 comes with a Qualcomm MDM6600 baseband chipset, the same as the one used inside the Verizon iPhone 4. According to the MDM6600 specifications sheet, the chipset is compatible with the following technologies:- GSM/GPRS/EDGE: 850/900/1800/1900 MHz
- UMTS/HSDPA/HSUPA: 800-850/900/1900/2100 MHz and AWS band (1700/2100 MHz)
- CDMA 1xRTT/EV-DO rev0/EV-DO revA: 800/1900 MHz